Can we talk about pharmacy layoffs?
I work for a certain pharmaceutical company, one that may or may not have taken credit for a certain vaccine recently. During several years of record profits you would think things like colleague benefits and pay would also improve, right? Wrong, because all that money made off of the backs of our labor went straight into the pockets of our CEO and leadership. In fact, we have been facing benefit reductions and cutbacks to overtime to the point where blue collor workers are struggling more than ever. We make less money than before the pandemic despite making them billions.
I'm not just venting, our CEO ( whose pay exceeds 1 million a year) is on record as having recieved many several times that as a bonus this year.
What was left of our profit was used for a series of bad investments and to prop up a team of Engineers who haven't had work in a year (no one cares about CoVid anymore, who knew?) These same engineers, who get payed to stay, not WORK, mind you, but stay at home and fuck around, recently got a $10/hr raise EACH, meanwhile we were waiting on a paltry bonus which was already 2 months late. The bonus, when we finally recieved it, was so pathetic that some colleagues did the math, and we learned that each of these engineers made the same amount of money from their raise alone WEEKLY. Millions of dollars were wasted on a now empty facility, hastily constructed for the production of more vaccine doses. We all knew the pandemic was over, but the bigwigs were so blinded by profit that they signed off on the project, anything to keep their pockets lined with over-inflated bonuses.
And now the layoffs have arrived, over 200 jobs, just gone. Right around holiday season, 200 families are now facing crisis because we were not given a second thought.
I worked hard, I performed the same work as these engineers. The EXACT same work, I even trained a team of them. But the insulting thing is, these bright eyed, fresh from school children, make double what I do, right out of the gate. I killed myself to make this company succeed. I personally oversaw and produced MILLIONS of vaccine doses.
Do I get so much as a thank you? Does pizza count? How fun, pizza at work once in a blue moon certainly helps me pay for rent in the slum that is my neighborhood. The only home I can afford to house my family in is controlled by a local drug dealer. I can't afford to save money, and the holidays fill me with dread. I was assaulted by a man with a sharpened screw driver not too long ago, just for being in my yard and minding my own. The sad thing is, I wasn't even angry, because that man was clearly suffering, just like me.
My wife and I are now separated, our love was strong, but the crushing weight of poverty was too much on our relationship. Now I'm basically homeless, unable to care for my 4 yr old son. Sending my paltry pay to make sure he at least has a roof over his head, living with his mother. I don't blame her, times have been tough for a very long time.
My work made this company millions. There was no reward, and life is misery. Its miserable for all of us. 200 families now wondering how they'll survive, just in time for the holidays.
Its cold out here, my car broke down, I can't afford another one, I keep it going with used parts from the local scrap yard.
I'm so tired, and bitter. It doesn't have to be this way. Greed did this to us.
Greed destroyed our country
Fire me if you want, I have so little left to lose. I don't even know what I'm still fighting for… What's the point of anything anymore?